“I consider myself a policy maker, not a politician”.
Daniel Pae introduced the Kratom Consumer Protection Act in the state of Oklahoma and he told us all about it in this Kratom Science Podcast.
Being the youngest representative in Oklahoma and one of the youngest in the US, he gives valuable advice to young people who aspire to be a part of the political fiber of the country and tells us about how he became a Kratom supporter, among many other interesting things.
Becoming a representative
Daniel felt the need to serve his country from a very young age. Making a difference was everything he wanted to achieve. He first thought that becoming a physician would be the perfect way to fulfill his passion for helping others and make a change in society, but he soon realized that was not the right path for him and instead chose to start working towards a governance and policy making career.
He enrolled and graduated with an Economics and Political Science bachelor’s degree and followed his ambition with a master’s in Public Administration. Faster than he could have imagined, his career sped up when in 2018 he became the youngest House Representative of the state of Oklahoma.
It was, however, not all as easy as it seems for him. Working a full time job during the day and knocking on doors during endless evenings to meet his fellow citizens allowed him to gain his community’s trust and prove that he would work hard and do whatever it took to make things happen.
He demonstrated that he had what it took to be a representative, meeting people directly face to face with an “every vote matters” mentality and, as he highlights, being a great listener.
Now that he is “in”, he admits that although the job might be stressful at times and it carries many serious obligations, it is deeply satisfying. Striving to help as many people as possible pulls him out of bed every morning.
Kratom and KCPA in Oklahoma
Rep. Pae was first drawn to Kratom legality issues when a person in his hometown, Lawton, reached out to him. She had done some research on Kratom and KCPA (Kratom Consumer Protection Act) and was very interested in this initiative to be considered statewide.
Pae, committed to his community, listened and did his own research. He decided to join the Kratom fight by working towards a bill that would make KCPA a reality in Oklahoma.
He admits that although the journey has been a little hectic, the bill hasn’t met much opposition and he shows optimism in the measure being a reality eventually in this legislature.
He also tells us that he’s worked with people across party lines to make this happen since he believes that good policy making can’t be limited to within one’s own party.
He’s worked his relationships with the rest of the house to achieve success in this and his many other bills, and he is all about avoiding high polarization when it comes to common sense policies.
Regulation over a ban
In line with a more progressive view regarding drug policies, he supports actions towards drug programs rather than drug criminalization measures. He agrees with the importance of regulation over criminalization, understanding that his community’s health is at stake.
Making sure Kratom products are of the highest quality possible should be the priority.
His bill would add age restrictions for those under 18 years old and it would require sellers to add appropriate labelling to all Kratom products among other measures.
Don’t miss the complete interview on this Kratom Science podcast and let us know what you think!
